Be Angry And Sin Not And Other Christian Impracticalities

This one is just for the Christians...

I know you find him odious. I'm not a big fan of his either. But this is your duty, just as it is my duty with leaders that I want no part of and believe to be disgraceful and dangerous. 

Pray for President Trump. He is the authority that for whatever reason God saw fit to allow into the White House. So, it your duty to God to pray for him. You don't have to like him or trust him. But you are required by the God who's name you bear to pray for him. Not against him. For him. What God does is not up to you.


Titus 3:1-3
Be Ready for Every Good Work
1Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Final Instructions and Greetings
12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.
15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.
Grace be with you all.

Timothy 2:1-4 ESV / 481 helpful votes
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Romans 13:1 ESV / 353 helpful votes
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.


Jeremiah 29:7
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

1 Peter 2:17
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Proverbs 21:1
The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.

Titus 3:1-2
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

Daniel 2:20-23
Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter.”

Psalm 22:28
For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

Job 12:23-25
He makes nations great, and he destroys them; he enlarges nations, and leads them away. He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a pathless waste. They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them stagger like a drunken man.

Romans 13:1-14
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. ...

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIKE TRUMP. But you need to be sure of this.


Ephesians 4:26-31 English Standard Version (ESV)
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.


Do what you have to but do it within the confines of scripture. You are not accountable for Trump, you are accountable for you.


2 Timothy 2:7‭, ‬10‭-‬10‭, ‬14‭-‬16‭, ‬19‭-‬21‭, ‬24‭-‬26 ESV

Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity." Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.


Matthew 12:25‭, ‬37 ESV
Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."


Luke 6:27‭-‬33‭, ‬35‭-‬38‭, ‬45‭-‬46
"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?


Romans 12:9‭-‬21
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.


As a citizen do what you feel is right but know that as a Christian you are subject to a higher authority and you accountable first and foremost to God for your own actions. If your actions don't line up with scripture you will not get to say "But Trump"... before God.


Ignore all my words if you want but latch onto the scripture. And you have every right to hold me accountable to the faith I proclaim. And yes, I have wrestled with my own decisions and actions.

This is NOT a defense of Trump. This is a loving reminder of what the Word of your God and mine says.

Did I mention that this is not a defense of Trump? If you call yourself a Christian you have to play by God's rules.  Did I mention this goes for me with leaders I want nothing to do with? Does this apply to every Christian on whatever side of the aisle? Yes, indeed. 

1 John 4:7‭-‬8‭, ‬18‭-‬21

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

John 3:16‭-‬17

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

We don't decide, God does.

Romans 12:19

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

Romans 5:8 

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Life Worthy of the Gospel

27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit,striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.

Regardless of anyone or anything...

In closing, I leave you with the words of The Right Reverend Marvin Gaye. "War is not the answer. For only love can conquer hate."

Glamour, schlamour

What is the music industry? As a music industry professional all of my adult life I HAVE NO IDEA! Nobody really knows.  Musicians are often paid at the same rate as we were when I was coming up in LA. We know have an entire generation that doesn't typically pay for music. It's all out there for the taking for the most part.

Live music. As a band leader I have a responsibility to my band to get them paid a decent wage so they can feed their families like I need to feed mine. At the same time I know venues that we partner with have to feed their families as well. Business, all business, is a chancy thing.

The next time you go see a band and there is a cover charge think of the hours and years it took for those musicians to hone their craft. And if it doesn't sound like they ever honed their craft it may well be because venues can't always get people to pay a cover charge.

Maybe it's because what we do is called playing that it is taken for granted and disrespected. Maybe it's because to the non-musician often a feeling can be evoked despite a substandard performance. Who's to say?

But we do work. Lug the gear out of the house, into the car, across town and beyond, out of the car set it up, play the music (that the part you see), tear it down, load it up, lug it back, set it up and practice. We also rehearse. That's when you lug the rig somewhere and work on the music together. Practice is when you learn and work on the music alone.

At the same time, this is a fantastic age to be making music. There are more tools than ever for both the legitimate musician and the creative non-musician... It's a fascinating time. There is much music that is pre-baked for you inside Virtual Instruments. There are backing tracks, sequencers (old school)... I won't get started. My only entry for today in the great backing track debate is this. Sometimes it's a about the venue (performance space, budget). Sometimes it's about personnel or lack thereof. Sometimes it's about literally being able to create the atmosphere or vibe that you'd have to have a whole lot more people, gear and/or time to accomplish. And yes sometimes it's about the fact that some people aren't actually good and shouldn't be on stage. But if Russel Ferrante, Vinnie Colaiuta, Michael Landau and Fred Hammond can use loops and tracks it's a legitimate musical option. (If you're a musician and don't know any of those names YouTube is out there to let you get your mind blown...) And, yes, people should be able to sing on pitch and play their darn instrument first and foremost. But as a band leader, artist and worship leader you can't tell me there is no legitimate place for tracks, loops etc. Well, you can tell me. But I respectfully tell you, you're wrong. I'd rather have all the people and gear all the time...But sometimes people literally can't be there or you can't afford everybody you want/need. And when the set calls for bass, keys and guitar and everyone calls in sick or someone just doesn't show up, it's the leader dealing with it... Ain't unplugged is often better arranged and planned as opposed to thrust upon you an hour before downbeat... Sorry, I got started.

It's a bizarre and amorphous creature and no one knows what it really is and a few have mastered it somehow. But even that top echelon of player, singers, writers, producers, labels, studios are all trying to get their piece of a very elusive and in many ways shrinking pie.

The part you see and hear IS a blast. And I'm not complaining per se. I just thought you might find it interesting. Because it is. And there are few greater joys than THOSE NIGHTS where it all clicks. (I'm also a worship leader so I get to have THOSE MORNINGS when it all clicks and everybody gets and stays connected to God.) But so much happens before those moments. But it's also like with all businesses a matter of survival.

There's so much more to say but I need to go be a band leader...and then a worship leader/small groups pastor and then a husband... (And that's just the things I know about.)


You have no idea what I do for a living. (Unless you do) And I have no idea what you do. I'd LOVE a peek into your world. Ooooo, let's a exchange a day in the life! Thank you, Mike Rowe and Dirty Jobs for reminding me that EVERY JOB is interesting.